Hello,
I’m Dr. Lauren Macaluso and I have a breastfeeding medicine practice that is part of Allied Physicians Group. I provide specialized medical care for breastfeeding mothers and their children. I have a medical practice where a mother can get her and her baby’s breastfeeding needs met in one place. I spend an average of 1 hour and 15 minutes with mom and baby, and encourage anyone the mom would like to join us for the visit. It tends to be dad, partner, grandma, sister, friend or other children. The more family members with us, the more opportunities for discussion and counseling. It is essential to hear the mother’s story. Many mothers find it therapeutic to talk about what they’ve been through and it helps me to fully understand them and meet their needs. We examine baby, weigh the baby, bring baby to mom and examine mom before feeding. I observe a feed providing assistance as needed with latch and positioning, assessing mom and baby comfort, attachment, suckling, and milk transfer. We weigh the baby after feeding providing objective data on how much milk the baby got. Some of the common complaints moms come in with include:
Difficulty breastfeeding
Sore, cracked, bleeding, and scabbed ni***es
Flat or inverted ni***es
Breast pain, Pain with breastfeeding
Too much milk, Not enough milk
Difficulty Pumping
Babies with difficulty breastfeeding, weight loss, slow weight gain, fussiness, gassiness, spitting up, breastfeeding multiples and premature infants
I strive to have mothers and families leave with all of their questions answered and have moms feel that their breastfeeding goals are attainable. If there’s any doubt or need to reassess for improvement we’ll schedule a follow up appointment. Many mothers come back during their breastfeeding experience for any issues that come up, such as change in supply, return to work, introducing solid foods or nursing an older infant. I work in coordination with mother’s obstetrician or midwife and baby’s pediatrician, and refer and work in coordination with ENTs, oral surgeons, feeding therapists, physical therapists and breast surgeons when needed. Please call our office at 516-498-2300 for an appointment. We participate with most insurance plans. We complete two patient encounters, one for mom and one for baby, thus if your insurance company requires co-pays, we collect two co-pays. Insurance plans vary and change frequently, we charge the primary care co-pays and adjust if insurance states otherwise after the visit. This is an extremely special time for mothers and their families and it is my privilege to spend quality time with them to help them reach their breastfeeding goals. Many meet these goals and with time do not need further office visits. I am excited to have a new venue to share information with patients and create a community for new mothers.
